Vale of the Gods

by A. E. Rayne

  And silently drawing her eating knife from its scabbard, Eydis turned, watching Entorp; seeing Gisila outside the circle, terror in her eyes; Gant, whose face was full of guilt and fear; and Dara who was showing her everything.

  Lunging forward, Eydis stabbed her knife into Ontine’s back.

  Ontine spun, screaming, reaching for Eydis who stumbled backwards as Gant threw himself forward, sword through the back of her neck.

  Dara ran for her, dropping to the ground. ‘We have to stop Jael!’ she yelled, pointing Eydis back to the fire. ‘We have to stop her now!’

  The Followers didn’t even turn their heads as Eadmund and Jael ran for the ridge. In fact, they started to move, bit by bit, slowly creeping backwards.

  Eadmund ran just ahead of Jael, on her left, holding the shield high. Draguta’s lightning barbs sparked off its shining dome, and she screamed, needing something else. She needed something else. She felt weak. Unable to think clearly. Drained.

  The book. She needed her book.

  And turning around to her table, she reached for the Book of Darkness, but it had gone.

  Jael felt Draguta’s confusion and panic as she spun, searching for her book, and she urged Eadmund on, hoping he could read her thoughts. He blinked and stopped, dropping the shield, holding it out. And Jael ran for it, leaping high into the air. Jumping onto the shield, she threw herself at Draguta who couldn’t get her hands up in time. And as she flew through the air, Jael could hear someone yelling at her to stop.

  But it was too late.

  She had jammed the jagged end of Toothpick’s broken blade straight through Draguta’s chest, his moonstone pommel bursting into flames, exploding in a rush of heat and noise.

  Eadmund flew backwards, slamming against the gravel. He couldn’t see.

  Everything had gone dark.

  He couldn’t see.

  ‘Quick!’

  There was no time. Her life’s work. Her sole mission. All a cruel trick.

  But there was no time.

  ‘There will be something we can do.’ It sounded like a wish.

  It was a wish.

  Edela was confused. ‘I don’t understand. Dara? What has happened? Why didn’t you want Jael to kill Draguta?’ She looked around as everything became dark.

  It was barely dusk, let alone night.

  Gant looked up at the smoke hole. At the pitch-black sky.

  There was no moon. No light up there at all.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Fyn had stumbled down the mountain of rubble and found his way back to the Brekkans, to where Axl crouched behind a huddle of battered shields. The armies had drawn away from each other, waiting, unsure what was happening. The sudden darkness was disconcerting. Odd. The only light was coming from Ayla’s tiny fire and the flaming piles of sea-fire burning around the dead where-worm.

  Ayla shivered, desperate to go to Bruno, but Dragmall had hold of her arm, and he was pointing at the grassy ridge.

  ‘Jael!’

  Jael could hear Eadmund as she leaned over Draguta’s body, dragging out her broken sword. Toothpick’s flaming pommel was extinguished now; a grey void.

  And Draguta?

  ‘I warned you.’

  Jael froze.

  ‘If you made this journey, Jael, I said you wouldn’t come back.’

  Jael fell backwards as the black cloud consumed Draguta’s white sheathed body. Twisting like smoke seeking an escape through the thatch, it rose into the darkness, turning into something.

  Into someone.

  ‘No!’ And scrambling back to her feet, Jael blinked. ‘No!’

  Eadmund hurried to her. ‘What. Is. That?’ He still gripped the shield, though he could feel his arm shaking, suddenly cold all over.

  ‘Raemus,’ came the voice behind them.

  And turning around, Jael saw Daala standing there in her human form.

  ‘That is Raemus.’

  57

  ‘How?’ Edela couldn’t understand it.

  Dara’s face was ashen. ‘Raemus was in the Dolma, where Daala sent him when she killed him. There is no real death in the realm of the gods. Only the Dolma. The soul prison. But when Draguta was raised...’ Dara shook her head, unable to believe that she had never seen it coming. Not until it was too late. And now it was too late. ‘When Draguta was raised, Raemus came along. I had a dream. I saw it all.’

  ‘He was inside Draguta?’ Biddy’s eyes were wide.

  Dara nodded.

  Edela shook her head. ‘But she’s dead now. Dead.’

  ‘Oh, yes. Jael’s sword, it was all a trick. The Following made it so. That moonstone hid a flame. A flame from the Fire of Light. And that flame brought Raemus back. Raemus and the Darkness. It is coming. Can you feel it?’

  Eydis nodded. ‘I can.’

  Dara peered at her. ‘Eydis, can you see?’

  Eydis nodded again.

  Dara grabbed her, pulling her forward, barely breathing. ‘Hold my hand now. Edela, come and join us. I will cast a new circle. One to protect us all.’ She glanced at Entorp, who still held his drum. ‘We need a bigger fire! And Biddy.’ She felt as though she knew them all. ‘More herbs. And blood! I need a lot of blood! Hurry now! We must hurry!’

  ‘Go.’ Daala’s voice was like stone. ‘You cannot stop him, Jael.’

  ‘And nor can you.’

  They all turned to the right as Briggit Halvardar emerged from the darkness. ‘None of you can.’

  Jael stepped back as the man walked forward.

  Not a man, she reminded herself. A god.

  The God of Darkness. Father of Magic. He who was the first.

  The sky felt as though it was suffocating them with its bleak heaviness, and she was struggling to breathe. It felt as though the air was slowly being drawn away from them, and turning to Eadmund, Jael could see his chest heaving. She looked past him to the dark shape that was Aleksander, and her heart broke again.

  Raemus laughed, feeling her pain.

  He was taller than Eadmund; bigger than Jaeger. Short black hair, a chiselled jaw, eyes like the night, teeth as bright as moonbeams, and Jael could sense the cold determination in Daala’s body as she strode past them to meet him.

  ‘And who is this creature to you?’ Daala spat, glaring at Briggit. ‘Another of your loyal pets?’

  ‘This?’ And putting his hand out for Briggit, Raemus brought the tiny queen towards him, bending down to kiss her smiling mouth. ‘This creature is my most loyal Follower of all. The one I chose to help me. She opened the circle, and now I am free, so I shall reward her by making her my wife.’

  Daala felt surprised. Surprised that she cared.

  ‘You thought you were the only one?’ Raemus laughed. ‘You think I pined for you? After you killed me, Daala? Imprisoned me in the Dolma?’

  Jael watched him, needing a plan. Her eyes were up, sensing something moving, and there, from out of the shadows came Meena Gallas, clutching the Book of Darkness to her chest, a hooded Follower dragging her towards Raemus, knife at her throat.

  ‘Ahhh, my book! My book!’ And reaching out, Raemus snatched it out of Meena’s trembling hands, eyeing her with distaste. ‘I should kill you now, but you took it from Draguta at the perfect moment. Weakened her for me. Perhaps I should reward you for such a fine act of service? Make you a Follower?’

  Meena closed her eyes, waiting for the punishment that was surely coming. But it didn’t, and she opened one eye, peering at Jael and Eadmund and the goddess who stood before her.

  Daala’s eyes moved from the book to Briggit. ‘You have chosen a new wife. You have your book.’ She swept her arm around the vale. ‘Your Darkness is coming! And then what?’

  ‘You are right, my love, I do have everything. And no need for any of you!’

  His voice was like the blood-curdling growl of a monster from her nightmares, and Jael closed her eyes, gripping her sun necklace – the one that Fyn had carved for her – trying to find her grandmother.

  She stepped
away from Daala, reaching for Eadmund’s hand.

  Eydis watched them.

  Amidst the crushing fear and terrifying darkness in the vale, she could see Eadmund as he stood beside Jael, holding her hand. And she felt the warmth of happiness flood her body. She had saved him. Freed him.

  After all these years, he was finally free.

  And though Dara and Edela were with her, sitting in the dreamer circle, holding her hands, she knew that this was her path now, and she had to walk it alone.

  For the Darkness was here.

  And she could see.

  And what Eydis could see most clearly of all was the Book of Darkness as Raemus placed it on the table before turning back to Jael.

  Raemus watched Jael’s eyes blinking in the glow of the flames that were slowly burning down as the air was sucked out of the vale. He peered at her until she felt as though she wanted to crawl into a ball and roll away from him. ‘You will die, Jael Furyck. Soon all of you will die. That is the way of the Darkness. Can you feel it? Your burning lungs? The loss of all hope?’ He laughed, feeling his power growing as the Darkness intensified around them. ‘We gods do not breathe as you do. We do not eat or drink. We do not even sleep. But we do love. And we do need. And we do seek revenge.’ His voice changed, and it was deeper, colder, as he reached out for Daala, who twisted around, turning back into Fyr, disappearing into the dark sky.

  Raemus laughed. ‘My wife was once so interested in saving her humans. Far too busy saving them to spend any time with me. Apparently that no longer holds true.’ And he ran a hand down Briggit’s ecstatic face. ‘How well you have done, my love. How patiently you and your kind have awaited my return. How much you have sacrificed and lost for this moment. For me.’

  Thunder crashed overhead, but Raemus barely blinked knowing that there was nothing the gods could do to stop him. He spun around, eyes on his loyal circle of Followers, and he stepped towards them, arms out, a smile stretching across his handsome face. They had helped bring him back to his rightful place.

  And now?

  Now he had everything he wanted.

  Jael had the strongest image of Tig collapsing to the ground; of horses staggering in the shadows, falling with him. They couldn’t breathe. In this heavy, airless darkness, none of them could breathe. She heard the rustling boots of warriors from both sides of the arena, shields banging as they stumbled against each other, weapons clattering to the ground. Jael tried to think, but she was dizzy, struggling to stand, and she swayed against Eadmund, who was barely standing himself.

  Fyr flew above their heads, swooping low, making a circle, flapping her broad wings, creating a breeze, a cool, swirling breeze. And for a moment, Jael’s head cleared.

  Raemus didn’t care what Daala was doing.

  Delaying the inevitable?

  He felt the relief of finally being freed from Draguta’s body. Of no longer having to suffer that ridiculous woman’s whims and her insufferable vanity. The joy of being reunited with his Followers was freeing. And holding out his hands, he started chanting, his voice a bone-rattling growl, watching the eyes of the dreamers as one by one they dropped to the grass.

  Dead.

  ‘What is happening?’ Bayla gripped Ulf’s hand, panic in her eyes. ‘I can’t breathe!’

  ‘Gant?’ Gisila wanted to sob, but her chest wouldn’t move, her eyes wouldn’t fill with tears. ‘Gant...’

  He was struggling to keep his own eyes open as the air thinned, as the effort to draw a breath became too much. He held Gisila close, knowing that whatever happened, they would never be apart again.

  Gisila lay her head on his chest, watching Entorp who was still attempting to keep a steady rhythm on the drum, his eyes closed. She saw Edela and Eydis and Dara Teros who sat before the shrinking flames holding hands. ‘Mother...’ Gisila stretched out her hand, leaving it there as she passed out.

  Eadmund leaned on the shield, feeling the strain of taking a breath, trying to focus on the cool air the raven was stirring, needing to stay alert. He felt Jael’s body shuddering against his, and, for a moment, he was calm. Death, when it came, would mean being with her. He gripped her hand, squeezing it, feeling her body fighting to stay upright.

  Raemus turned to Briggit. ‘And you? Are you ready to die for me?’

  Briggit could feel her body weakening as the air became thinner, but it was pulsing with need. For Raemus. For the eternal darkness he had promised her all those nights he had come into her dreams. ‘Yes,’ she breathed, head back, waiting for his kiss. And he bent down to her, pressing his smooth lips to hers, holding them over her mouth as she squirmed and wriggled, fighting for air, finally going limp in his arms.

  And gently lying her tiny body down on the grass, Raemus straightened up. ‘I was patient, Daala!’ he cried, admiring the beauty of the Darkness. ‘I waited for you. I wanted you! None of this.’ And he swept his arms around the vale. ‘None of this had to happen. If you had stayed with me as you always promised you would, none of this had to happen!’

  Fyr swooped down towards him, ready to attack, but Raemus spun, snapping his fingers and the raven’s neck broke, the bird dropping to the ground with a thud.

  Eydis watched.

  Hidden by Dara’s symbols, she walked forward, Dara’s voice a soft hum in her ears, urging her on.

  The prophecy was a lie, Eydis. A trick.

  What The Following wanted it to be.

  Though, perhaps not all of it.

  The son. The daughter.

  They killed Draguta with the sword and shield as I saw they would.

  But the third weapon...

  I once had a dream, Eydis. The most powerful dream I ever experienced.

  And in that dream, I saw you.

  The son, the daughter, and the light.

  You are the light, Eydis.

  You are the light.

  58

  No Follower was stirring. Not even Briggit Halvardar.

  Eydis wondered if they ever would again.

  Another promise? Another trick?

  She didn’t know.

  Raemus dropped to his knees, scooping the dead raven into his hands, and as he did so, Fyr turned back into Daala, and he was carrying his wife’s body away from the edge of the ridge, lying her on the patch of grass Draguta had been standing on only moments before.

  ‘I only wanted you,’ Raemus breathed, running his hand over Daala’s shimmering white hair. ‘You and this beautiful, perfect Darkness. Ours. Together.’ He spun around suddenly, sensing movement, but no one was there, just the spark of a dying fire, the last breaths of a pointless human. ‘I will make you again. Return you to me. I can. I can. And you will love me. Want only me. You will see.’ And placing his lips on Daala’s, Raemus breathed into her mouth.

  Eydis could feel her heart beating so violently that she feared Raemus would turn around again and see her. She glanced back at him, but he was still bent over Daala, and as she turned, she stumbled, tripping on a rock, twisting her ankle.

  Raemus straightened up now, frowning, searching the darkness, eyes seeking an answer. Something was out there. Someone. He stuck out a hand, wanting to feel whatever it was, to draw it to him, but he couldn’t.

  He couldn’t find anyone.

  Eydis could hear Dara.

  You are the light, Eydis. You are the light.

  And reaching out, she stepped towards the table, placing her hands on the Book of Darkness, screaming as light exploded from the pages, surging through her body, lifting her off the ground.

  ‘No!’ Raemus roared, lunging for the book, but the force and heat of the light pushed him backwards, and he couldn’t get to Eydis or the book as they ignited before him. And then Daala was there, behind him. ‘Thank you, Eydis,’ she breathed, slamming her hands onto Raemus’ back, knocking him into the column of light as the book caught fire, vellum crackling in the darkness, flames shooting up into the black sky.

  And suddenly they could breathe, and Jael’s head was up, wa
tching the burning tower of light and Eydis in the middle of it all.

  ‘Eydis!’ Eadmund was on his feet, running for her. ‘Eydis! Eydis! No!’

  He could hear her.

  And she was saying goodbye.

  ‘Eydis!’ Jael was beside him, and she could see Eydis disappearing now. ‘Eydis!’ She held out her hand, but there was nothing she could do.

  ‘Little Thing! No!’ Eadmund screamed, running for her, but the light shot up into the sky, taking Eydis with it.

  Edela opened her eyes, turning to look down at her hand.

  The hand that was holding Eydis’.

  But Eydis wasn’t there.

  ‘No!’ she sobbed, horrified eyes on Dara Teros who had blinked hers open. ‘No! Not Eydis! No!’

  Biddy ran to her, frantic. ‘Where is she? Edela? Where did she go? Eydis? Eydis!’

  The light was golden.

  The sun had returned, bathing them in a bright, warm, comforting light.

  Or perhaps that was Eydis?

  Jael turned away from Eadmund as he reached for Thorgils who had hurried forward; both of them in shock, neither understanding what had happened. She walked slowly towards Aleksander, still lying where he’d fallen, trying to save her life.

  He had saved it.

  She was still here.

  Draguta was dead. And Raemus.

  And she was still here.

  ‘Oh,’ Jael sobbed, falling to her knees, dropping forward, her arms around his still body, lying her chest on his. ‘Oh, please. Please come back! Come back to me!’ Her tears fell like rain, a lifetime of memories washing over her: that night in Tuura; their cottage: training; his face.

  That face.

  ‘Aleksander! Please. No!’ She stopped suddenly, looking up, tears running down her cheeks, and she saw him.